


Pickled Plum

by Rainewritesfanfics



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Gen, Lesbians, Mentions of Usagi, Slice of Life, Strangers, cause I’m gay and do what I want, convenience store run, midnight cravings, small world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-23 01:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15594906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainewritesfanfics/pseuds/Rainewritesfanfics
Summary: Sarashina Kyuusuke has worked many night shifts. While patrons at 2am are few and far between, they tend to be interesting folks. Tsukino Seiya, he finds, is no exception.





	Pickled Plum

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to practice slice of life, and I thought it’s be interesting to center a fic from the perspective of a minor character like Kyuusuke.

It was precisely 2:08am when the doorbell chimed, forcing Kyuusuke to drag his head off the counter where he’d been resting it. 

“Welcome to Lawson’s,” he said, switching into his customer-friendly voice as best he could despite being more than halfway into his second shift.

The customer in question was a young woman, older than Kyuusuke, but no older than 25. She blinked her tired blue eyes and stifled a yawn. “Hey. Could you point me toward the onigiri?”

“Aisle three,” Kyuusuke supplied, surreptitiously taking in her pajamas: a loose blue sweatshirt that barely covered her running shorts. Anyone older than thirty would likely have found it scandalous. 

The woman disappeared around the corner, no doubt in search of the rice balls. 

Kyuusuke stared after her for a minute, something about her angular face pulling at his memory. 

When his eyelids grew heavier, he turned back to the clock. 2:15am. Only one hour and 45 minutes until he could go home and sleep. Just as the minute changed, midnight blue hair and black shorts drifted back into view. 

Kyuusuke bolted upright, sheepish at having been caught resting.

The woman’s lips tilted up in a smirk, but her eyes were tight with just a hint of worry. “I can’t seem to find the pickled plum variety. I might just be tired or blind, but are you out of it?”

He blinked stupidly for a few seconds while her words registered. “I don’t think so. Let me check.”

Kyuusuke got to his feet, ignoring his protesting left foot, which had fallen asleep from being sat upon.

The woman followed him back to the display, her warm woodsy scent doing nothing to help either of their fatigued states.

Kyuusuke’s eyes went to where the rice ball in question should have been displayed, but he found nothing. Taking a cursory look around for the tell-tale purple wrapper, he came up short.

“Well, if you’re blind, then I must be too. We don’t have any out here, Miss.”

She sagged against the canned drink display. “Fuck,” she whispered, rubbing at her eyes and letting out a long groan. “I’m sorry to ask, but is there any way you might have some in the back? Please?”

Kyuusuke pulled a lopsided face that might have passed for a grin. “You must really like pickled plum.”

“Not me. My wife,” she said with a yawn, freezing when she realized what she’d revealed. 

Kyuusuke’s heart nearly broke when he saw the way her features grew guarded. She was in fight-or-flight mode just from the implication of her words. 

“You must love her a lot to be out this late,” Kyuusuke replied gently. 

The woman relaxed, a grin splitting her handsome face and revealing two dimples. “She’s wonderful; so lively and just wow. Expecting our first baby, hence the late night snack run.” 

Kyuusuke let out a soft laugh. “Well, then it would be my honor to assist you in your quest. I’ll be right back,” he said, already drifting toward the back room.

It only took two minutes to find the box of overstock and the pile of plum onigiri nestled within, so it was more than worth the effort when he returned to the front with an armload of the purple-wrapped snacks. 

“Ta-da!”

The woman beamed, clapping her hands. “Thank you! Oh, she’ll be so happy!” After Kyuusuke set the rice balls on the counter, the woman ruffled his hair. “Thank you, my convenience store knight. You’ve made me and my princess very happy tonight.”

Kyuusuke was startled by the affectionate gesture, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. “It was no trouble, M’lady,” he replied with a small smile of his own. “How many would you and your princess like?”

“I’ll take the lot. Last us through tomorrow night, I hope.”

“Six it is,” Kyuusuke replied, ringing up the snacks. When the rice balls and a couple of anime mystery boxes she’d put on the counter had been bagged, he looked back at her face. “Cash or card?”

“Cash,” she replied, handing him a 10,000 yen note. 

Kyuusuke blinked at the large note, but punched the numbers in and opened the drawer to fetch her change. 

“I never caught your name,” he began. “I’m Sarashina Kyuusuke, by the way.”

“Seiya. Tsukino Seiya,” she said, brushing her long hair aside and taking the bags off the counter. 

Kyuusuke froze and then needed to recount the coins in his palm. “Tsukino? Are you related to an Usagi, by any chance?”

Seiya cracked a Cheshire smile. “Long blonde hair and blue eyes, right?”

Kyuusuke nodded, mystified.

“Heh, it’s a small world,” she said merrily. “The lovely princess I’m bringing these back to is none other than Tsukino Usagi.”

“Whoa! Congratulations to you both! I had no idea she’d settled down!”

“Well, I am irresistible,” Seiya said, winking and flexing. 

Kyuusuke laughed and offered the change to her. “Well, then I won’t keep you any longer. Please give her my regards.”

Seiya folded his hand around the change. “Keep it.”

“What?”

“Keep the change,” she repeated. “You saved me having to go to another store, and you were really cool about everything. Most clerks aren’t as friendly this time of day.”

Kyuusuke held his hand out again. “I was just doing my job. This is too much, Seiya-san.”

“Kid, listen. I’m an idol. I’ve got waaayyy too much money. Just take it and know that I’m thankful.”

He stared at the yen in his hand for a moment, but before he could protest again, she disappeared, leaving only the hint of warmth in the the air and the fading chime of the doorbell in her wake.

He stared at the door for a minute and smiled.

Shoving the money in his pocket, he sat down. His eyes drifted back to the clock. 2:38am.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please feel welcome to leave comments and kudos!


End file.
